Beautyberry can be a great choice for all gardens

2:41 AM,
Jun. 27, 2014

Written by

Pat
Smith

When a plant is easy to grow and presents a stunning autumn display, it readily becomes a landscape favorite.

Beautyberry (Callicarpa americana) is such a shrub. The shrub grows prolifically in southeastern regions of the U.S., Mexico and in the Caribbean. It is reported as hardy to zone 7. Another variety is the Asian native Callicarpa japonica, which is hardy to zone 5.

Historically, nearly all of the plant's parts were used by Native Americans for medicinal purposes to treat fever, rheumatism, stomach aches, dysentery and colic. ...